


rule number one

by toflowerknights



Series: the Skybox series [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-08 13:33:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1943019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toflowerknights/pseuds/toflowerknights





	rule number one

No one has talked to Octavia since she got dropped in her cell. Apparently words travels fast and no one wants to talk to the freak sister who hid under the floor to survive. It was all for the best anyway. She wouldn't know what to say, how to act. Instead she spent the two hours she was allowed outside her cell sitting with her feet dangling over the edge of the floor, leaning forward to look down into the deep. She had her arms hanging over the low railing and looked at everything she could get her eyes on. In some twisted way she was almost happy that they found her. At least now she existed. At least now she could actually see something other than the inside of her coffin.

One day, when she was studying the stars through the window above her someone knocked into her. She looked up and saw long brown hair fall over a blue sweater before the person in question sat down next to her. "You're the one they're all talking about, aren't you?" she asked and peered at her with interest evident in her eyes. "The sister." She said it with a smile that would have been taunting if her voice hadn't been so intrigued. Octavia ducked her head and hid behind her bangs, but the girl only laughed and stuck out her hand.

"Don't worry," she said, "I'm just here because I felt for some company. I'm Grace." Octavia grabbed her hand and shook it hesitantly. "Octavia," she said and gave Grace a shy smile. "You know, you're the first person who's even dared to talk to me. No one wants to talk to the freak," she added bitterly, but Grace waved her off with a huff.

"We're all freaks in here," she replied and looked around, "Like that guy over there," she said and pointed to a guy standing a few feet away. "He stole council member Kane's key card and broke into the control room to sing on the loudspeakers for the whole Ark to hear while drunk on moonshine. No one was impressed, Miller," she called out loudly and the boy named Miller gave her the finger. Octavia giggled quietly. Grace gave her a blinding smile and continued to point out everyone she knew and told Octavia what they were in for.

"What are you in for?" Octavia asked after a while and Grace smiled sourly at her. "Murder," she said casually and Octavia's blood ran cold. "After he attacked me," she continued and swung her legs back and forth as they dangled over the edge. "But apparently self defense isn't a good enough reason when your boyfriend is a council member." She glanced at Octavia with an amused look on her face. "His wife and son agreed."

Octavia felt a lump in her chest that grew every second of silence. "I'm sorry," she said and Grace shook her head with a shrug. 

"Don't be," she said with a tight smile. "He got what he deserved, in the end." She took a deep breath and released it before turning back to look at Octavia. "So, no one told you how things works around here?" she asked. "And I don't mean the guards, because, frankly, they're just a bit over useless. I mean someone that's locked up. They didn't explain things?" Octavia shook her head mutely and Grace smiled gently. "That's alright, it's all quite simple, really."

"If you behave the guards will let your family bring you stuff, bribes, if you will," she said. "Magazines, charcoal, paper, pens, stuff like that. Which reminds me," she pulled out something from the back of her shirt and handed it to Octavia. It was folded in the middle and when Octavia opened it she saw that it was a magazine. It looked decades old and the pictures was almost completely faded.

"Oh, no thank you," she said and tried to give it back but Grace shook her head. "No, it's for you. I saw on your chip that you're not allowed visitors, and I thought that you might want something to keep time going in here."

"I can't read," Octavia said in embarrassment and Grace placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, there's plenty of time to learn in here," she said comfortingly and Octavia felt a shiver of anticipation run down her spine. She pulled the magazine to her chest and nodded slowly. "Do I have to know anything else?" she asked and Grace bit her lip.

"Yeah," she said and dangled her feet again. "The one thing you've got to remember to not go completely crazy in here." She looked at Octavia seriously. "Don't get attached to anyone. Because one day you'll wake up and they'll be gone." The alarm sounded and before Octavia could react Grace was gone. She walked to her cell in silence.

-

Grace was waiting for her the next day. "Did you bring the magazine?" she asked and Octavia nodded. Grace gave her a blinding smile she motioned for Octavia to sit down and began to teach her. They met every day for the next two months and step by step Octavia learned to recognise the patterns on the pages as letters. The day after Octavia finished reading the magazine Grace her all by herself Grace came with a new one. It kept going like that until Octavia knew them all by heart. The stack of magazines next to her bed grew.

Octavia started to open up, piece by piece. She kept some things to herself, like how she hated the dark or how small spaces made her feel sick. But she told Grace about her mother, and about Bellamy. She told her everything about her brother and how he had been the only person in her life that she could trust. Grace listened intently and told her in a sad voice that it sounded really special to care about someone that much.

"Grace," Octavia said one day. "When you get out of here, do you think you could visit my brother for me? Tell him that I'm alright." Grace's smile turned into a flat line so quickly that Octavia wondered if she had taken their friendship too far, that it was too much to ask. But Grace quickly recovered and gave her a teasing smile.

"Sure," she replied, "I'll visit your brother and then we'll fall madly in love and have child." She nudged Octavia with her elbow and Octavia flushed at her words. She didn't bring it up again, but she knew Grace would keep her promise.

-

"I really liked this one," Octavia said as she finished the magazine Grace had brought the day before. Grace hummed quietly and something changed the way she looked at Octavia. Instead of the confidence and weird joy Grace always wore like a crown was gone and anxiety coloured her features. "What's wrong?" Octavia asked with a small, intrigued smile.

Grace leaned forwards and pressed a dry kiss on Octavia's lips, then immediately pulled back. Octavia gaped at her and raised a hand to touch her lips. "What did you do that for?" she asked and Grace bit down on her bottom lip.

"Let's call it stupidity," she said and looked as if she was about to pass out. Octavia frowned. This was so different from the Grace she knew and she wondered what had brought this on. Grace gave out a laugh, but it sounded false, as if it was someone pushing a button forcing her to. They sat in silence while Octavia tried to twist and turn everything that had happened in her life so far and she tried to ignore the sense of familiarity and safety she felt with Grace. When the alarm rung Grace was up on her feet in a second as always.

"Grace," Octavia called out and got to her feet as well. Grace turned around and looked at her with a small, shy smile, much like the ones Octavia had given her the first couple of weeks they had known each other. "I didn't mind." Grace's smile turned radiant and that was the last thing on Octavia's mind as she went to sleep that night.

-

After that much time was spent in either Octavia's or Grace's cell. Soft kisses traded under covers and warm mouths against collar bones and jawlines. Grace taught her things about herself she had never known before and she wondered how long Grace had wanted to teach her. But when Grace's hands trailed over her body it didn't really matter anymore. All that mattered was Grace, right there and then.

Three months after Octavia had been locked up they were laying on her bed and Grace was drawing pattern on her waist with the tips of her fingers. She had been unusually quiet that day and Octavia silently wondered if she should ask what was wrong. Grace trailed her hand up the length of her body and came to rest through the curls of her hair. "I love you." Octavia's eyes, that had been resting on Grace's lips, snapped up to look Grace straight in the eyes. 

"Grace-"

"No, I just had to say it, at least once. I don't care that you don't feel the same way, I just needed you to know. Ok?" The vulnerability in her voice made Octavia pause. "You broke rule number one," she muttered in confusion and Grace let out a broken laugh. "Yeah, well I never said I was one of the strong ones." Her bottom lip quivered slightly and Octavia reached out her hand and stroked it with her thumb.

"I think you're strong," she whispered. "Don't say stuff like that. I know you're strong. Loving someone doesn't make you weak." Grace shook her head violently and Octavia caressed her cheek to make her calm down. Grace grabbed ahold of it and kissed Octavia's palm.

"I'm sorry," she whispered quietly and Octavia shook her head in return.

"I'm not!" she replied.

-

The next day she was waiting for Grace, like she always did, feet dangling over the edge and arms wrapped around the railing. Grace was late, but it wasn't the first time. A pinch of worry clawed at her, that things would be different because of what happened the day before, but she vowed herself not to act any differently around her. Grace was still her best friend and nothing would change that.

Someone coughed behind her and she turned around with a wide smile that faded quickly when she saw that it wasn't Grace. It was the kid she had pointed out to him the first time they'd met, Miller. He was standing awkwardly, shifting from side to side. The slump of his shoulders and the way he said ' _Octavia_ ' made her heart sink

"She's not coming is she?"

Miller swallowed and shook his head. "They took her away this morning." Octavia pressed her lips together and felt her eyes sting. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and looked at Miller through blurry eyes. He looked as if he was about to say something and she quickly interrupted him.

"Thanks, Miller."

He seemed to understand that she wasn't up for encouraging or comforting words and nodded quietly. He turned around, as if he was about to leave, but stopped halfway and faced her once more. "Do you want some company?" he asked and she shook her head with a polite smile.

"Thanks, but I think I'll just read for a while." He nodded and left the same way Grace used to. Octavia got out her magazine, her favourite, and opened it with a steady hand. She wouldn't let herself break rule number one again.


End file.
